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KW-M

I had seen before a photo of this 425 Alouette Halifax, but never clear enough to see the code nor the serial number in the back.

This photo was put on a Facebook page where I took all the pictures I have been posting here since last week. This photo is not part of Flight Sergeant John Rawbon’s collection of photos. We can cleary see the serial number MZ954. With this information I was able to continue searching.

This is what I found on Richard Koval’s Website for an operation on 12 October 1944…

October 12, 1944

96 Halifaxes from 408, 415, 420, 425, 426, 427, 429, and 432 squadrons were ordered to attack the oil plants at Wanne-Eickel. The crews were over the target at between 16,000 and 20,000 feet, releasing 1,052,000 lbs of high explosives. The oil refinery and a chemical plant were seriously damaged. More than 50% of these aircraft were damaged by flak over this target.

This is what is written about 425 Alouette…

11 crews from 425 Squadron departed base at between 07:26 and 07:46 hours, they were over the target at between 10:15 and 10:22 hours, returning to base at between 12:37 and 13:19 hours.

F/O G. Beaulieu and crew flying Halifax III LW-379 coded KW-D were hit by flak in the target area, there were small holes in the fuselage.

F/O C. Dionne and crew flying Halifax III MZ-954 coded KW-M were hit by flak over the target area at 10:20 hours while flying at 19,000 feet, there were holes in the elevators.

F/O J. Galipeau and crew flying Halifax III MZ-674 coded KW-N were hit by flak over the target at 10:19 hours while flying at 17,500 feet, there were holes in the fuselage.

F/O T. MacKinnon and crew flying Halifax III LL-591 coded KW-S were hit by flak over the target at 10:29 hours while flying at 17,500 feet, this made the aircraft difficult to turn.

F/O G. Lareau and crew flying Halifax III LL-582 coded KW-W were hit by flak over the target, it was not serious.

50 % of all the bombers suffered some kind of damage during this operation!

Looking for more information on Richard Koval’s Website, I found that Dionne’s crew had many close calls with death.

This is my 102nd post on this second blog honouring 425 Alouette squadron. I had no more space on the first one to add more pictures. There are still hundreds and hundreds of old photos still to be found. Phillip Rawbon has found recently his father’s World War Two photos. Flight Sergeant John Rawbon was working with the photo section at RAF Tholthorpe.

Phillip was not aware of how precious all of his father’s photos were.